Prophet of Mercy (Earth-5875)
The Prophet of Mercy, born Hod Rumnt, was one of the three san'shyuum Hierarchs of the Covenant that led the empire and the Covenant High Council during the First Contact War in the 9th Age of Reclamation. He was the oldest and most experienced of the trio. Biography Early life Born on August 22nd, 2332, on ''High Charity'', Hod Rumnt was elected by the Covenant High Council before his future fellow Hierarchs were even born. His early career was marked by intense debates between himself and sangheili High Councilors over the manipulation of forerunner relics. He was considered to be one of the last san'shyuum of the Old Guard, publicly criticizing the san'shyuum's demilitarization after the end of the War of Beginnings. This later led him to willingly help in the replacement of the sangheili for the jiralhanae in the Great Schism. Ascension By 2510, in the 23rd Age of Doubt, Rumnt gave up politics to indulge in the spirituality of the Ascetics aboard the ''Dreadnought''. However, only two years later, he helped the Minister of Fortitude Ord Casto and the Vice Minister of Tranquility Lod Mron rise to the post of Hierarch through the subterfuge of their previous three leaders. As a sign of gratitude towards his aid, Casto and Mron offered him the chance to be the third Hierarch at their side, which he relutanctly agreed with, but saw no other choice knowing about their secrets. With his help, the three san'shyuum ascended to become Hierarch, and Rumt chose the regnal name of the Prophet of Mercy. Outbreak of the war In February 2525, the Prophet of Mercy approached his fellow Hierarchs to indulge about the "reliquaries" found on the distant world of Shanxi. While he and Regret analyzed all the data the soldiers were able to retrieve in the planet, Mendicant Bias, the Oracle of the Dreadnought reactivated disclosedly to the Prophet of Truth, revealing that the humans were "Reclaimers" who were left behind, which proved a major aspect of the Path and its Great Journey to be false. After Truth heard this revelation, he kept it a secret from both Mercy and Regret, believing such an information, if public or shared, would certainly lead to the destruction of the Covenant from the inside. They then declared war against humanity, under Truth's pretense that humanity were heretics that deserved to be exterminated duo to their very existence being a threat to the forerunners. First Contact War during the trial of Thel 'Vadamee.]] As the oldest member of the Hierarch triumvirate, Mercy had deep and ingrenated knowledge over the governance and societal system of the Covenant. The Hierarchs worked in unison during the First Contact War to ensure the destruction of humanity and the dominance of the Covenant over the heretics, although he and Regret were kept unknown over the truth of the Path by the Prophet of Truth. watching Thel 'Vadamee claim his Arbiter body armor.]] He was present in the High Council trial of Fleetmaster Thel 'Vadamee alongside Truth and Regret, over 'Vadamee's failure to safeguard Halo during the Battle of Installation 04. There, Mercy questioned why 'Vadamee did not destroy the [[UNSC Pillar of Autumn (Earth-5875)|UNSC Pillar of Autumn]] over Reach during his extensive campaign on the planet instead of pursuing it, and later demanded order in the Council when a divise argument broke between the sangheili and san'shyuum Councilors. When the trial ended, Mercy and Truth ordered the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus to bring the disgraced 'Vadamee before them at the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. Once 'Vadamee arrived, Mercy mentioned moments of the Covenant history, including the Unggoy Rebellion and the Taming of the Lekgolo, and how both depended of an Arbiter to ensure the conflict ended and the Covenant survived. They then gave the title of Arbiter to 'Vadamee so he would quell the heretical movement led by Covenant traitor Sesa 'Refumee, with Mercy warning him he was expected to die by undertaking his mission. , and 'Vadamee watching a constrained 343 Guilty Spark.]] Following Regret's catasthropically failed and unintentional attack on Earth, he sent a formal apology to the Prophets of Truth and Mercy, where he pledged them to "forgive his premature arrival', claiming he was unaware that humans lived on the world. While Truth wanted Regret to be publicly shamed for his failure, Regret was spared of his contempt duo to Mercy's insistance. After Regret was killed by SPARTAN-II John-117 on Installation 05, Mercy and Truth had the sangheili replaced by the jiralhanae in the Covenant Honor Guard in what became known as the Changing of the Guard. After Tartarus and 'Vadamee captured 343 Guilty Spark upon killing 'Refumee and dismantling his movement at the Threshold Mine, Truth and Mercy interrogated the Monitor in a stasis field to prevent its escape. Through the Monitor, the two discovered that a "Sacred Icon" was required to activate Installation 05 and they could finally begin the Great Journey. After a brief encounter with the Arbiter, the two remaining Hierarchs ordered him to travel to the ring and retrieve the Icon. Great Schism , announcing the reclaiming of the Sacred Icon.]] While the Arbiter retrieved the Icon during the Battle of the Quarantine Zone, Mercy and Truth started the Great Schism. As the Hierarchs saw the sangheili unfit to continue with the Great Journey and believing they were growing too questioning, they were replaced with the jiralhanae, whom were ordered to execute all sangheili, sparkling mass civil war. Even though it seemed Truth was dismantling the foundation of the Covenant, Mercy continued to support his actions, which was made easier with Regret's death, as he would have disagreed with the treachery. entrusting Tartarus with the Sacred Icon.]] When Tartarus seemingly killed the Arbiter at the Library to recover the Sacred Icon, he returned to High Charity and gave the relic to the Hierarchs. While Truth gave a religious sermon to all of High Charity, they stumbled upon John-117, who had arrived in the holy city after using the teleportation grid with the help of the Gravemind, who was lying beneath the Library, on Installation 05. The SPARTAN-II stole a Type-33 Needler from a scared unggoy and aimed the weapon at both Hierarchs. Their jiralhanae Honor Guards, however, stepped in and attacked John, giving Truth and Mercy enough time to escape. Right when both of them prepared to depart from High Charity to Earth aboard the Dreadnought with Spark, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, and Commander Miranda Keyes, a swarm of Facehuggers appeared and attacked the Hierarchs and their jiralhanae guards. A single Facehugger was able to evade the Honor Guards and latch into Mercy's neck in an attempt to impregnate him. Death .]] While Tartarus attempted to save him, Truth emerged and left Mercy to die so he could become the single leader of the Covenant, satating that the Great Journey awated for no one. While Mercy struggled on the ground to keep the Facehugger from incapacitating and impregnating him, Truth and Tartarus left the city aboard Type-52 Phantoms, and he was eventually overtaken by the Facehugger. He was found by John-117 minutes later, barely conscious and with the Facehugger dead at his side. The SPARTAN then questioned where was Truth going, to which Mercy replied Earth. Just after he finished saying it, a Chestburster violently emerged from his chest, killing Mercy instantly, to which John killed once the little creature attempted to leap at him. Nevertheless, Mercy's corpse was later harvested as part of the Gravemind along the billions of victims it made once it completely claimed High Charity and established a super-hive on it. Personality Mercy was lively, knowledgeable and passionate about his devotion to the Path, the existence of the Halo Array and the hopes of the Great Journey, which was evidenced upon the discovery of Installation 05. He had a sense of propriety, and called upon the Prophet of Truth to spare any condenmation against the Prophet of Regret, although such an act did not make him merciful: while he served as a devout Ascetic, he still accepted the bribes from the Prophets of Truth and Regret to gain influence. He was awed by any knowledge over the forerunners, and sought all information he could nurture about them. Arguably the Prophet of Truth's right-hand man, Truth himself called him his "voice of reason": after Mercy's death at the hands of the xenomorphs, Truth became irrational and aggressive, letting his facade as a very charismatic and calm leader fade away after years of manipulation. While Mercy and Truth constantly clashed for political power within the Covenant, Mercy never showcased any rivalry with his two Hierarchs. Category:Earth-5875 Category:Characters of Earth-5875 Category:Males of Earth-5875 Category:San'Shyuum of Earth-5875 Category:Deceased characters of Earth-5875 Category:Hierarchs of Earth-5875 Category:Covenant politicians (Earth-5875) Category:Covenant members (Earth-5875) Category:Xenomorph hosts (Earth-5875) Category:White Eyes Category:White Hair Category:Males Category:Advanced Technology Wielder Category:Increased Mobility Category:Army at Disposal Category:Created by Draft227